AU2009202009A1 - Device for separating individual flat, bendable objects from the underside of a stack of such objects and for transporting the separated objects away - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Standard Patent Applicant(s): FERAG AG Invention Title: Device for separating individual flat, bendable objects from the underside of a stack of such objects and for transporting the separated objects away The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method for performing it known to me/us: P8058.AU Pht_SeLFling Appichtion 2009-5-21.doc (M) -2 DEVICE FOR SEPARATING INDIVIDUAL FLAT, BENDABLE OBJECTS FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF A STACK OF SUCH OBJECTS AND FOR TRANSPORTING THE SEPARATED OBJECTS AWAY The invention is the field of conveying flat, s bendable objects, in particular of printed products, and concerns a device according to the generic term of the independent claim. The device serves the separation of individual flat, bendable objects from the underside of a stack of such objects and for the onward transportation of 10 the objects, in particular for the separation of individual printed products from the underside of a stack of printed products and for onward transportation of the printed products. STATE OF THE ART is From publication EP1226083 a device is known which serves the purpose named above. For separation of individual printed products from the underside of the stack of printed products the device comprises a carrier wheel, arranged below the stack, rotating on a 20 substantially horizontal axis, on the periphery of which pairs each consisting of a suction device and a gripper allocated to the suction device are arranged. The device further comprises a supporting means, which on the one hand supports the stack from below, on the other hand 25 comprises at least one extraction opening, through which the lowermost printed product may be gripped and for separation may be bent away from the stack towards the gripper allocated to the suction device. The carrier wheel is arranged and driven such that suction device and 30 gripper are moved in parallel to a pair of edges of the stacked printed products and approximately centrally between these edges below the stack. The suction devices are rotated in a controlled manner during the rotation of the carrier wheel and connected to a suction pipe and de 35 coupled from it. The grippers are closed and re-opened in a controlled manner during the rotation. When a suction N:\Melboune\C.aeo\Patent\80000-80999\PB0958.AU\Specie\P0958.AU GH *peci.doc 21/05/09 -3 device is moved through underneath the stack, it grips the lowermost printed product in the region of the edge orientated transversally to its direction of movement it meets first, and when moving further it bends this edge s region downwards through the extraction opening in the supporting means into the open allocated gripper, which then grips the printed product and removes it completely from the stack during its further movement. In an embodiment described in publication EP1226083 10 the supporting means on which the stack rests is a roll bed conveyor, which comprises a plurality of rollers arranged horizontally and in parallel to each other and are mounted to be freely rotatable, and which are aligned to the suction devices and grippers but are moved through is below the stack on a substantially rectilinear and horizontal path. Hereby the movements of the rollers and the suction devices are adjusted in relation to one another such that the suction device may grip the lowermost printed product of the stack in-between two 20 successive rollers and may draw out its edge region, and the upstream roller of the two may move in-between the printed product gripped by the suction device and the printed product resting thereupon. The roll bed conveyor thus forms a succession of extraction openings orientated 25 in parallel to the rollers and to the printed product edges gripped by the suction devices, which openings successively move through beneath the stack. In order for the stack to be securely supported and for the extraction openings to be large enough all the same, it is suggested 30 to move the rollers through beneath the stack in groups of three, wherein the rollers within the groups of three are at smaller distances from each other and wherein between succeeding groups a larger interspace is provided and only this interspace is used as extraction opening. The rollers 35 forming the roll bed conveyor underneath the stack consist of two mutually aligned roller sections, which are at a N:\Melboure\Case\Patnt\80000-80999\Pa0958.AU\Specia\P80958.AU GH epeci.doc 21/05/09 -4 distance from each other. Thus it is prevented that the suction devices conflict with the rollers. A circulating chain is provided on each side of the carrier wheel, one for the left roller sections and one for the right roller s sections, wherein the roller sections are coupled to these chains and revolve with the chain at constant distances to each other. The orbit of the chains on both sides runs around a deflection roller arranged coaxially to the carrier wheel and around a further deflection roller with io a parallel axis, which is arranged such that an upper part of the orbits is approximately horizontal between the deflection rollers. The stack is arranged above this region of the orbit of the rollers. The device according to EP1226083 thus comprises a 15 revolving roll bed conveyor with extraction openings, wherein the stack is arranged on the outside of this roll bed conveyor. When separated from the stack of printed products the printed products are drawn through an extraction opening to the inner side of the circulating 20 roll bed conveyor, from where they need to reach its outer side for being conveyed further. For this purpose the roller sections in the corresponding region are rotated into a substantially vertical position in their orbit. In this region the printed products are laid down on a 25 conveying belt and released by the grippers, wherein the conveying belt follows the circular movement of the grippers in a substantially tangential manner. The device described in publication EP1226083 works without problems and without requiring much space. It is, 30 however, a costly device, and is restricted regarding the direction of onward transportation. In publication WO 2008/0000099 a device is described which serves the same purpose. Again a roll bed conveyor is on hand, wherein the rollers of the roll bed conveyor 35 are fitted to a roller wheel, which e.g. circulates on the same axis as the carrier wheel. The drawn out printed N:\Melboune\Caoeo\Patent\80000-80999\P80958.AU\Specia\PA0958.AU GH Speci.doc 21/05/09 - 5 products are, however, not drawn completely into the inner region of the roll bed conveyor but only partly. In this position the printed products are conveyed in synchrony with the roll bed conveyor over a certain distance and 5 then deposited on a transport track. Thus it is not - as in EP1226083 - necessary to open the roll bed conveyor in a certain region in order to transport the printed products outwards from the inside of the roll bed conveyor. Therefore the orientation of the rotation axis io of the rollers remains unchanged and the rollers circulate on a non-circular orbit, on which the distances between the rollers are varied. For this purpose the rollers are flexibly linked to the roller wheel by means of levers, such that the levers are rotatable in parallel to the is rotation plane of the roller wheel. A definite orbit and a definite and consistent course of movement of the rollers along this orbit are defined by a roller guidance, which controls the movement of the rollers along the orbit. Publication EP1254855 also shows a roll bed conveyor, 20 in which the rollers are fitted to a roller wheel. In order to open the roll bed conveyor in a certain region the rollers are tilted away on a tilting axis, which is substantially radial or secantial respectively in relation to the roller wheel. For rotating the rollers a cam 25 control is provided. A wheel rolling on a cam moves the rollers via a lever mechanism with several levers. Because of unfavourable leverage due to the relatively long rollers and the tilting point of the rollers being near the lever mechanism the forces developed on the lever 30 mechanism are considerable and conversely the resulting movement of the rollers is not defined to complete precision. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention thus has the object to create a device 35 for the same purpose as the devices described above, which is, however, more simple in design and effects a flowing, N \Melboure\Cases\PatenO\0000-80999\P80958.AU\Specia\P80958.AU GH epeci.doc 21/05/09 - 6 precise movement of the rollers. This object is achieved by a device with the characteristics according to claim 1. The device for separation of individual flat, 5 bendable objects from the underside of a stack of such objects and for the onward transportation of the objects thus comprises a stacking space with a supporting arrangement supporting the stack from beneath, 10 circulating separation and transportation devices for separating the objects from the underside of the stack and an arrangement for onward transportation of the separated objects. Hereby the supporting arrangement is a roll bed is conveyor formed by a plurality of circulating rollers, wherein the rollers are respectively rotatable around their longitudinal axis and are moved along an orbit and thereby are moved through below the stack in a supporting region in manner aligned to the separation and 20 transportation devices. The rollers are respectively coupled by means of a coupling to at least one roller wheel and by means of this coupling the longitudinal axes of the rollers each can be pivoted in relation to the roller wheel. The rollers are 25 pivoted in a release region of the orbit by a controlling element and thus produce an opening of the roll bed conveyor, through which opening the arrangement for onward transportation is routed. The separation and transportation devices thus draw 30 the objects through the (not opened) supporting region into an inner region of the roll bed conveyor. The roll bed conveyor is opened for outward conveying of the objects in a release region, in which the objects again leave the inner region. N.\Melbourne\Cases\Patent\80000-80999\P8O95.AU\Speci1\P80958.AU GH epeci.doc 21/05/09 -7 Due to the rollers being arranged on a roller wheel and not on a belt or on a chain - a very simple design of the roll bed conveyor is possible. The rotation of the rollers and thus the opening of 5 the roll bed conveyor in the release region are preferably implemented by means of a preferably fixed control curve or cam, e.g. in that the rollers roll on the control cam. Hereby advantage is taken from the fact that the rollers are preferably mounted in a roller carrier in a manner io rotatable around their longitudinal axis. Thus a rigid control cam may easily be used without further movable control elements. The control cam is advantageously arranged on the inside of the orbit and presses the rollers or the roll bed conveyor, respectively, open from 15 the inside. Alternatively the rollers may be extended backwards beyond the roller carriers such that the rear ends of the rollers are pressed towards each other by a control runner or cam, which is arranged outside the roll bed conveyor, and thus the front ends of the rollers are 20 moved away from each other. Other mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic or electrical operation means may also be used for the pivoting of the rollers. The roller carriers are advantageously mounted on the roller wheel to be pivotable around a rotation axis. In 25 the supporting region the longitudinal axes of the rollers preferably run substantially in perpendicular to the plane or the rotation plane of the respective roller wheel. This perpendicular position is preferably defined by a mechanical stop, which limits the rotation movement in a 30 corresponding stopping position. Basically it is also possible to incline the roller wheels and to form the stop such that the rollers run, in the region of the stack, where they serve as support, in parallel to the underside of the stack (in general horizontally). 35 By means of the control runner or cam on the one hand and the stop on the other hand a simple movement control N:\Melboure\Caoeo\Patent\80000-80999\P80958.AU\Specio\PB0959.AU GH specidoc 21/05/09 - 8 device consisting of few parts with favourable leverage and therefore a precise guidance of the roller movement is created. A preferred embodiment of the invention includes a 5 pre-tensing device, which respectively draws the roller carriers and thus their rollers in the direction of the stopping position of the pivoting movement. In a particularly simple, preferred embodiment the pre-tensing device comprises an elastic pulling cable, which connects 10 roller carriers of the individual rollers of a roller wheel to each other and thus draws all these roller carriers and with them their rollers into the direction of the stopping position of the rotation movement. In a different preferred embodiment the pre-tensing device is comprises a set of spring elements, wherein an individual spring element is allocated to each roller, which effects a load between roller and roller wheel, wherein this load draws the roller into the direction of the stop. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the 20 rollers are freely rotatable and are, at least in a section of the orbit, preferably at least in the supporting region, rotatable by rolling on a rolling-off body, wherein this rotation corresponds to a rolling movement of the rollers on the bottommost object of the 25 stack. Thus the rotation of the rollers is effected by the rolling-off body and not by the bottommost object, which prevents damage of this object. The rolling-off body is preferably a cable tensed around a sector of the orbit from the outside. It may also 30 be a fixed rail or runner against which the rollers are guided. The device according to the invention preferably comprises two opposing roller wheels with facing, preferably mutually symmetric sets of rollers. The axes of 35 the two roller wheels are advantageously coaxial, can, N:\Melbourne\Case.\Patent\8OOO-80999\P809SS.AU\Speci.\P0958.AU GH peci.doc 21/05/09 -9 however, also e.g. be inclined towards the inside of the device. For certain applications, however, one single roller wheel may be adequate. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the at 5 least one roller wheel and the carrier wheel of the suction devices and grippers comprise parallel rotation axes, which makes a simple design possible. Furthermore, preferably the carrier wheel and the at least one roller wheel are driven at identical angular speeds, preferably 10 by the same drive and coupled through a gearbox. Further preferred embodiments emanate from the dependant claims. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following the object of the invention is is explained in more detail on the basis of preferred embodiment examples, which are shown diagrammatically in the attached drawings. Hereby: Figure 1 shows a side view of a device according to the invention with an angle of view onto a plane of roller 20 wheels; Figure 2 shows a front view of this device, viewed along the plane of the roller wheels; Figure 3 shows a front view of a roller in a position perpendicular to the plane of the roller wheel; 25 Figure 4 shows a front view of a roller in a pivoted position; and Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a roller in a pivoted position. The reference numerals in the drawings and their 30 denotations are summarized in the reference numeral list. In the figures identical parts are basically denotated with identical reference numerals. N:\Melboure\Cases\Patent\80000-80999\PU0950.AU\Specio\PO958.AU GH *peci.doc 21/05/09 - 10 WAYS FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Figure 1 shows a side view of the device according to the invention, in a view onto a roller wheel 7 and Figure 2 shows a corresponding front view viewed along the plane 5 of the roller wheels 7. On one of the respective roller wheels 7 a plurality of rollers 9 is pivotably fitted by means of respective couplings 8. The totality of the rollers 9 forms a roll bed conveyor circulating along an orbit 11. In a first region of the orbit 11 the 10 longitudinal axis of the rollers 9 runs in perpendicular to the plane of the roller wheel 7, thus also in perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. This first region comprises at least one supporting region 12, in which flat objects 2, stacked in a stacking space 12, lie is upon the rollers 9. In the first region the rollers roll on a rolling-off body 20. In the shown embodiment the rolling-off body 20 is a cable tensed around part of the orbit. The cable 20 is e.g. held and tensible by means of holding bodies 25, which are adjustably arranged in 20 grooves of a casing wall 27. In a second region of the orbit 11, referred to as release region 13 in the following, the rollers 9 are pivoted by a control runner or cam 15 out of the normal direction to the plane of the drawing. A tensioning or 25 pulling means, here a tensioning cable or pulling cable 18, draws the rollers back against a stop in this direction. The following elements concern the transport of the flat objects through the device. Elements arranged and 30 acting in analogy are described in more detail in the publications EP1226083, EP1254855 and WO 2008/0000099, which are summarized further above. Thus Figure 1 shows only two of a plurality of suckers or suction devices 4 with associated grippers 5 as release and transport means. 35 Figure 2 additionally diagrammatically shows a carrier wheel 3 on which the suction devices 4 and grippers 5 are N:\Melboune\Case\Patent\80000-80999\P80958.AU\Speci.\PS0956.AU GH speci.doc 21/05/09 - 11 arranged. A plurality of such (not shown) suction devices 4 and grippers 5 circulates in anticlockwise direction on a course shown in broken lines in Figure 1. In an interspace 21 between the two roller wheels 7 or their s rollers 9 respectively the suction devices 4 may be led towards the flat objects 2. Hereby in each case a suction device 4 releases one of the flat objects 2or printed products, and a gripper 5 grips this printed product 2 and draws it through in-between the rollers 9 into the inside 10 of the orbit 11. Subsequently the gripper 5 draws the printed product 2 along a supporting belt or a supporting rail 22 onto a means 6 for outward conveyance, e.g. a conveying belt, and releases it. The means 6 for outward conveyance conveys the printed product 2 through the roll 15 bed conveyor out of orbit 11. Figure 3 shows a frontal view of a roller 9 in a position in perpendicular to the plane of the roller wheel 7. Figure 4 shows a frontal view and Figure 5 a view in perspective of a roller 9 in a pivoted position. Apart 20 from the previously described elements the figures show the couplings 8, which are fixedly connected to the roller wheel 7. In a coupling 8 a roller carrier 17 is respectively mounted to be pivotable around a pivot axis 14. The pivot axis 14 is preferably substantially 25 tangential in relation to the rotation direction of the roller wheel 7. A roller 9 is mounted in roller carrier 17 to be rotated around the roller's longitudinal axis 10. The rollers 9 are thus mounted on one end, are rod shaped and extend lengthwise over a large part of the complete 30 width or half width of the stack of objects 2. The pulling 'cable 18 made of elastic material connects the individual roller carriers 17to each other, i.e. it runs through the individual roller carriers 17 of a roller wheel 7, along the perimeter of the device. For 35 this purpose the pulling cable is e.g. hooked into a respective hook 24 of the roller carriers 17. Hereby it N:\Melbourne\Caoe\Patent\90000-B0999\P80958.AU\Specis\PB095.AU GH peCi.doc 21/05/09 - 12 may slip in hook 24 in relation to roller carrier 17, or it may be fixed. The pulling cable 18 hereby draws the roller carriers 17 and therewith the rollers 9 inwards in the direction of the position in which the longitudinal s axes 10 are in perpendicular to the plane of the roller wheel 7. This position is defined by a stop 16 (Figure 4) on the coupling 8, where the respective roller carrier 17 is stopped. In the release region 13 the rollers 9 are pressed io outwards and pivoted by the control runner or cam 15 against the spring load of the pulling cable 18 (Figures 4 and 5). In Figures 3 and 4 a groove 23 is visible, which in each case is arranged at the rear end of the rollers 9 in 15 the region of the coupling 8. Over these grooves, in a region of the orbit 11 of the rolling-off body 20, which is visible in Figure 2, e.g. a further elastic cable is tensed. Thus the rollers 9 roll on the rolling-off body 20 and are made to rotate. This moving of the rollers 9 has 20 the consequence that the rollers, when rolling need not be made to rotate by the objects 2. Figure 3 shows a spring 19 in broken lines as an alternative to the pulling cable 18. In a corresponding embodiment of the invention each roller or each roller 25 carrier 17 thus comprises this kind of spring 19, which draws the roller carrier 17 towards the stop 16. In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary 30 implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention. 35 It is to be understood that, if any prior art N:\Melboure\Caseo\Patent\O0000-80999\P0958.AU\Specis\P0958.AU GH epeci.doc 21/05/09 - 13 publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country. N:\Melbourne\Case\Patent\80000-80999\P8D956.AU\Specio\P80958.AU GH speci.doc 21/05/09 - 14 REFERENCE NUMBERALS 1 stacking space. 14 rotation axis 2 flat objects 15 control runner 3 carrier wheel 16 stop 4 suction device 17 roller carrier 5 gripper 18 pulling cable 6 arrangement for onward 19 springs transportation 20 rolling-off body 7 roller wheel 21 interspace 8 coupling 22 supporting belt, rail 9 rollers 23 groove 10 longitudinal axis 24 hook 11 orbit 25 holding body 12 support region 26 slot 13 release region 27 casing wall N:\Melboure\Cases\Patent\80000-80999\P8O0958.AU\Specl\P80958.AU GH spect.doc 21/05/09

Claims (15)

1. Device for separation of individual flat, bendable objects (2) from the underside of a stack of 5 such objects (2) and for transporting the separated objects (2) away, which device comprises a stacking space (1) with supporting arrangement supporting the stack from beneath, circulating separation and transportation devices (4, 5) for separation of the 10 objects (2) from the underside of the stack and an arrangement (6) for onward transportation of the separated objects (2), wherein the supporting arrangement is a roll bed conveyor comprising a plurality of circulating rollers (9), wherein the is rollers (9) are respectively rotatable around their longitudinal axis (10) and are moved along a circuit (11) and hereby moved through under the stack in a supporting region (12) in a manner aligned to the separation and transportation devices (4, 5), 20 characterized in that the rollers (9) are coupled by means of a respective coupling (8) to at least one roller wheel and that by means of this coupling (8) the longitudinal axes (10) of the rollers (9) are 25 respectively pivotable in relation to the roller wheel (7) and the rollers (9) are pivoted by means of a control element (15) in a release region (13) of the orbit (11) and thereby create an opening through which the arrangement (6) for onward transportation 30 is routed.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein a pivot axis (14) of the rollers (9) respectively runs through the couplings (2) of the rollers (9) on the roller wheel (7) in a direction substantially 35 tangential in relation to the roller wheel (7). N:\Melboure\Caaeo\Patent\80000-80999\P80958.AU\Specie\P80958.AU GH speci.doc 21/05/09 - 16

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a control cam (15), which, in the release region (13) of the orbit (11), effects pivoting of the rollers (9) and thus the opening of the roll bed 5 conveyor, wherein the control cam (15) is arranged on the inside of the orbit (11) and presses open the rollers (9) and the roll bed conveyor from the inside.

4. Device according to claim 3, wherein the io control element (15) is at least one fixed control cam (15) on which the rollers (9) roll and thus are pivoted.

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the longitudinal axes (10) of the is rollers (9) in the supporting region (12) run substantially in perpendicular to the plane of the at least one roller wheel (7).

6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotation movement of the 20 longitudinal axes (10) is limited in one direction by a mechanical stop (16), which defines a stopping position, in which the longitudinal axis (10) substantially runs in perpendicular to the plane of the roller wheel (7). 25

7. Device according to one of the of the preceding claims, wherein the rollers (9) each are mounted in a roller carrier (17) in a manner rotatable around their longitudinal axes (10), and the roller carrier (17) is mounted to the roller 30 wheel (7) in a manner pivotable around a pivot axis (14), and a pre-tensing device (18, 19) is provided, which draws the roller carriers (17) and with them their rollers (9) in the direction of the stopping position of the pivoting movement. 35

8. Device according to claim 7, wherein the N:\Melboune\Caoeo\Patent\0000-80999\P80958.AU\Specis\P0958.AU GH speci.doc 21/05/09 - 17 pre-tensing device comprises an elastic pulling cable (18), which connects the roller carriers of the individual rollers (9) of a roller wheel (7) to each other and thus draws all the roller carriers (17) and 5 with them their rollers (9) in the direction of the stop of the pivoting movement.

9. Device according to claim 7, wherein the pre-tensing device comprises a set of spring elements (19) and an own spring element (19) is allocated to io each roller (9), which effects a load, wherein this load draws the roller (9) in the direction of the stop (16) .

10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the rollers (9) are rotatable and the is rollers (9) are rotatable in at least one section of the of the orbit, preferably at least in the supporting region (12) by means of rolling on a rolling-off body (20), which rotation corresponds to a rolling movement of the rollers (9) on the 20 bottommost object (2) of the stack.

11. Device according to claim 10, wherein the rolling-off body (20) is a cable tensed around a sector of the orbit (20).

12. Device according to one of the preceding 25 claims, wherein a roller wheel (7) with a set of rollers (9) is provided.

13. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein two rollers (7) with two sets of rollers (9) arranged symmetrically to one another are 30 provided.

14. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one roller wheel (7) and the carrier wheel (3) comprise parallel rotation axes. N:\Melbourn\Caoea\Patent\80000-80999\PB095.AU\Specio\P095a.AU GH speci.doc 21/05/09 - 18

15. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the carrier wheel (3) and the at least one roller wheel (7) are driven to rotate at the same angle speed. N:\Melbourne\Case\Patent\80000-80999\P0958.AU\S. peci.doc 21/05/09